Battle of Winterfell will be the longest ever Game of Thrones episode

Battle of Winterfell will be the longest ever Game of Thrones episode

Winter is ‘officially’ coming with Game of Thrones Season 8 nearer than ever now with less than 30 days in its premiere. 30 days isn’t a long time to wait and it’s much easier if you are an avid book reader or a binge-watcher as you can finish up a new series on Netflix or AmazonPrime within a month at least! But, we on Wiki of Thrones are destined to bring you every update related to the new season of Game of Thrones. So, the newest update is that the official runtime for each episode of the new season has been revealed by HBO, as recently reported by the most reliable source Entertainment Weekly.

A week ago we reported that HBO had revealed the run time of first two episodes of the new season being 54 minutes and 58 minutes long respectively, along with a later update on rest of the episodes. All of the info seems to be correct except for episode three which now has been officially confirmed to be longer than previously reported. The runtime for episode three is actually now 1 hour 22 minutes – which is a big nod to the epic Battle of Winterfell. Prior to this, the Season 7 finale was the longest episode, having a runtime of 1 hours and 20 minutes, which is same as the runtime of the final two episodes of the upcoming season 8.

Here is an updated list of the official runtime for each episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 as shared by the network:

Season 8, Episode 1April 14 at 9:00 p.m.Running Time: 0:54

Season 8, episode 2April 21 at 9:00 p.m.Running time: 0:58

Season 8, episode 3April 28 at 9:00 p.m.Running time: 1:22

Season 8, episode 4May 5 at 9:00 p.m. Running time: 1:18

Season 8, episode 5May 12 at 9:00 p.m. Running time: 1:20

Season 8, episode 6May 19 at 9:00 p.m. Running time: 1:20

And, so this means that the average run time for Season 8 episodes will be 72 minutes – a big relief to the fans, especially to those who weren’t happy with the runtimes, especially for the Battle of Winterfell episode.

Given the fact that these are longer than the average length of Season 7 episodes, now I’m truly and even more excited for the final season coming out on April 14. What about you guys? Share your thoughts on this update in the comments.

How did Tormund survive the attack on the Wall? Kristofer Hivju teases a resolution

Among the many shockers Game of Thrones season 7 finale left us with, the uncertain fate of Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion was perhaps the most gut-wrenching. After all, we all knew that the Wall would be breached some way or other, didn’t we? But that it would collapse with Tormund on it was not something a lot of fans (raising my hand here) were ready to accept. Hence the relief was real when the season 8 trailer showed our beloved wildling alive and kicking.

Well, Kristofer Hivju, who plays Tormund on screen, was not too perturbed himself. “I assumed that they wouldn’t give Tormund an offscreen death,” he told RadioTimes.com.

While we are all happy that Tormund survived, this just opens up so many new questions. What happened when the Wall collapsed with Tormund and Beric still on it? How did Tormund and Beric manage to get away with the Army of the Dead already marching in Westeros? Where is that corridor they are seen walking through? Is it Winterfell, or some other castle?

Hivju, of course, isn’t telling, but he does promise the explanation of his (seemingly impossible) escape will be dealt with early on. In his words,

“There will be a resolution of some kind, but as to how Tormund reappears… well, I’d watch.”

“I felt a lot of love when that happened. When people were anxious about what’s going to happen. And there have been many moments throughout the season where I have been close to death. The Hound saved me out on the lake. And I think many people thought that this is where Tormund’s going under.”

The world of Game of Thrones is dark and full of terror, and Hivju too hasn’t been immune to the uncertainty that comes with it.

“Every time we get new scripts it’s been like, ‘Am I dying on that page?’ No. That page? No. That page? No. End of the script? OK! But for season eight, it’s a different story…”

Sure. Now that leaves us with the all-important question of whether Tormund will survive the catastrophes the new season brings and manage to win the heart of his lady love, the ‘tall woman’ AKA Brienne of Tarth (and make giant babies with her). Guess we will only find out when Game Of Thrones season 8 premieres on April 14.

Critics won’t get to review Game of Thrones Season 8 episodes in advance

James Hibberd from EW has reported that HBO will not send out Game of Thrones Season 8 episodes for advance reviews.

This is not really a surprise, as critics didn’t get to review the last two seasons in advance as well. So this doesn’t come as shocking news for the critics and the fans. However, with so little news filtering out, this will only serve to hike up a craze a few notches higher before the first episode airs on April 14.

This was not always the case, though. HBO used to send out DVDs of the episodes to several prominent TV critics for advance reviews. Critics often got to view as many as six episodes of a new season before it even started to air. This format worked well when Game Of Thrones was not the cultural behemoth it today is.

But everything changed in 2015 when the first four episodes of Season 5 were leaked online even before the season premiered. No critic was held responsible, but the leak did originate from a DVD screener. HBO realized that making the episodes available so widely is a huge security risk and from Season 6 onwards, no advance screeners were sent out for reviews.

However, HBO’s security woes did not end there. Game of Thrones Season 7 too saw major hacking attempts and episode leaks. The hacker, an Iranian national, was eventually arrested and charged by US authorities. For Season 8, hence, security measures have reached new heights.

The red carpet premiere will be held before the TV opening though, and select members of the press are sure to attend. However, given how heavy-handed HBO has been with security, there will almost certainly be an embargo on reporting before the TV premiere.

HBO and Insight Editions will release 4 new Game of Thrones books in 2019

Game of Thrones is now less than a month away and the way insane battles have been teased, I’m getting a vibe we aren’t getting a second trailer. HBO definitely wouldn’t want to give away much of the stuff ahead of April. Though this may be a weird marketing strategy, HBO wouldn’t want fans to lose hope. This is why they recently announced Game of Thrones 2019 Publishing Program in collaboration with Insight Editions.

Some fans might wonder that this might be related to George RR Martin‘s new book in-line the Winds of Winter – the new installment to ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series. So we confirm that this is a completely new set of 4 signature books by Insights Editions to commemorate the era-defining hit television series Game of Thrones.

According to Raoul Goff, founder and publisher at Insight Editions,

“We’ve been faithful fans of Game of Thrones for many years and have enjoyed a fruitful partnership with HBO for nearly just as long…We’re thrilled to be able to participate in the grand farewell of one of the greatest TV shows ever made.”

The award-winning entertainment publisher has announced four books to be included in the program include:

Game of Thrones: The Storyboards by William Simpson, lead storyboard artist for Game of Thrones.

The Art of Game of Thrones

The Photography of Game of Thrones by Helen Sloan, the principal unit photographer for Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones: The Costumes by costume designer Michele Clapton.

Game of Thrones: The Storyboards

Releasing in Spring 2019, the book is priced at $60 and you can pre-0rder it right now. William Simpson has compiled a collection of behind-the-scenes pivotal moments and conceptual artworks which ultimately made their way to the TV series. This book will be a guide to all artistic developments brought about the series ranging from the Iron Throne to the newly built Dragonstone set.

The Art of Game of Thrones

Filled with gorgeous illustrations and artworks from Game of Thrones, this book gives you a picture of the amount of hard work put in together by artists who’ve worked to make the series one of a kind during its era. This book will be released at the fall of 2019 and will be available at a price of $75. Described as “a multitude of fascinating and beautifully rendered images and previously unpublished works of art”, this book is surely for you if you’re interested in finding out how thousands of artists worked hard every season for 9 years to bring life to the fictional world of Westeros to life.

The Photography of Game of Thrones

Photography on Game of Thrones is the basics Helen Sloan has been putting into series since Season 1. Every frame, the perfect angle, and clicks, the Photography of Game of Thrones drives you off to the most iconic shots and stills taken from the series. Priced at $75 and with a release date of fall of 2019, this book will give you an exclusive look at some of your favourite characters and moments with splendid detailing. According to the official press release, this book “captures in striking detail the scope and nuance of the show, celebrating a world of iconic characters, shocking moments, breathtaking locations, and much more.”

Game of Thrones: The Costumes

If you’ve been a great fan of the costumes used on Game of Thrones, then this book is truly for you. This book, priced at $75 and to be released by the fall of 2019, will feature an imminent collection of back-stage work done by artists to design the attires on Game of Thrones. From the cloaks of the North to the Crimson Red gowns Cersei Lannister wore in Game of Thrones, this book will feature beautifully detailed photographs of the costumes and behind-the-scenes details. The hard work put together by the Emmy-winning costume designer Michele Clapton has compiled in this book.

More information related to all four books will be revealed by HBO and Insight Editions soon. Till then we shall wait till April14 for the Final Season of Game of Thrones, which has totally been hyped up by teasers and promotional photos.